This invention relates to a method of manufacturing a lightweight foamed metal, particularly a particle stabilized foamed aluminum.
Lightweight foamed metals have high strength-to-weight ratios and are extremely useful as load-bearing materials and as thermal insulators. Metallic foams are characterized by high impact energy absorption capacity, low thermal conductivity, good electrical conductivity and high absorptive acoustic properties.
Foamed metals have been described previously, e.g. in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,895,819, 3,300,296 and 3,297,431. In general such foams are produced by adding a gas-evolving compound to a molten metal. The gas evolves to expand and foam the molten metal. After foaming, the resulting body is cooled to solidify the foamed mass thereby forming a foamed metal solid. The gas-forming compound can be metal hydride, such as titanium hydride, zirconium hydride, lithium hydride, etc. as described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,983,597.
Previously known metal foaming methods have required a restricted foaming temperature range and processing time. It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved metal foaming method in which it is not necessary to add a gas-evolving compound nor to conduct the foaming in the restricted melt temperature range and restricted processing time.